1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is devices adapted to facilitate the removal, carrying, and replacement of compact discs from their carrying case to and from compact disc player machines.
2. Description of the Related Art
Relatively new in the recorded music field have been the advent of compact discs. These compact discs, generally made of a thin circular sheet of aluminum, have music and voice recorded upon them in a laser encoded manner. The compact disc is utilized in compact disc player machines by rotation of the disc while passing over an operating laser, the laser so positioned to direct a beam of light to the underside of the compact disc wherein the light is reflected to light receiving means, such as light sensitive phototransistors. Operative circuitry attached to the light receiving means produce a very high quality, high fidelity reproduction of the voice and music originally recorded on the compact disc. Since the laser beam illuminates and reflects off a very small area of the compact disc, it is very important that the surface of the compact disc which reflects the laser beam be kept clean and free of dirt and other contaminates, such as body oil from a person's fingers, which, if present, would tend to distort the laser beam impinging upon the compact disc.
To that end, the compact disc manufacturers suggest that the compact disc be picked up by a person's fingers on opposite sides, at the peripheral edge, and if the disc must be handled, that only the top flat circular disc be touched inasmuch as the coded information is on the flat circular bottom of the disc. The disc is round, about 45/8 inches in diameter, approximately 1/16 inch thick, and has a centrally located opening approximately 9/16 inch diameter.
While if one perfectly handles the compact disc with their fingers, transfer of skin oil to the bottom side of the disc may be avoided, however, it would be far better if there were available a tool which permitted the grasping of the disc for removal, carrying, and replacement purposes which avoided all possible human contact with the disc.
The compact discs are typically kept in a carrying case having a lid which swings open to reveal the compact disc inside. The carrying case is characterized by a centrally located hub with a plurality of upward protruding knee-shaped holding tabs, the sides of the holding tabs forming a circle adapted to receive the centrally located opening of the compact disc in a frictional engagement for securing the disc in the carrying case. When one lifts the disc from its carrying case by grasping the disc at opposite peripheral edges, removal of the disc is opposed by the holding tabs in the centrally located opening and by continual pulling of the disc upward and away from the carrying case will it slip off the holding tabs. However, in the process, one can observe the disc bending and flexing. Whether or not this injures the disc is unknown. Certainly, breakage may be possible. However, it has been the Inventor's experience that different manufacturer's holding cases utilize slightly different diameter holding tabs inasmuch for the same compact disc, some carrying cases release it easier than others. Accordingly, it is possible that some manufacturers may have a carrying case which grasp a compact disc so tightly via its holding tabs that in removal of the disc, breakage could occur.
It is to this end that it would be useful to provide a tool which permits the removal of the compact disc from its carrying case wherein the possibility of contamination of the face of the compact disc by the operator is completely avoided. It would also be advantageous if such tool accomplished removal of the compact disc from its carrying case by also acting upon the holding tabs such that they released the compact disc at the time that the disc is removed in order that possible cracking or breaking of the compact disc is avoided.
Accordingly, there is an advantage of providing a compact disc removal tool which grasps the compact disc at opposite peripheral sides as intended by the compact disc manufacturer and which, at the same time, acts upon the holding tabs to reduce their frictional engagement of the compact disc centrally located opening in order that removal of the compact disc from its carrying case is performed in a relatively effortless manner and operator contamination of the compact disc is avoided.